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Volume 1, Issue 4
Health risks of obesity found to be greater than previously known
Exercise that high fat meal away!
Don't be afraid of the scale, daily weigh-ins can help keep the weight off
Don't forget--losing weight can improve your memory
Keep your eyes healthy with regular exercise
Health risks of obesity found to be greater than previously known
For years experts have been warning us about the dangers of obesity, however new research recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates the health risks of obesity may have been underestimated.
In a study of over 90,000 ethnically diverse women, researchers found that in less than 15 years cases of extreme obesity in the United States have quadrupled!
Results indicated that women who are obese are at a significantly greater risk for a number of deadly diseases including, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and high blood. These risks were directly correlated with an increase in Body Mass Index (BMI).1
Exercise that high fat meal away!
Eat too much at dinner last night? Worried about all that high fat food youÕll have at Thanksgiving? New research out of Indiana University can ease your mind.
Researchers studying physically active individuals with healthy arteries found that exercising after eating a high fat meal can not only reverse the damage to the arteries, it can also improve their functioning compared with before a meal. 2
Don't be afraid of the scale, daily weigh-ins can help keep the weight off
For dieters, stepping on the scale can be a daunting task. But recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that daily weigh-ins can be the key to losing weight and keeping it off.
While all of the 300 study participants had successfully lost a minimum of 10 percent of their body weight, those who weighed themselves daily, and used that information to change their nutrition and physical activity behaviors were 82% more likely to keep the weight off. 3
Don't forget--losing weight can improve your memory
While some may think memory loss comes with aging, a recent study of over 2,000 French adults indicated that ones weight can directly effect mental functioning.
Researchers found that participants with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) did not perform as well on a battery of standard cognitive tests, assessing abilities like memory, attention and speed of learning. The results indicated that not only did individuals with higher BMIs perform poorer, but they were also at greater risk for dementia later in life.
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Keep your eyes healthy with regular exercise
Most people know that exercise keeps the heart healthy, but did you know that it can do the same for your eyes?
A study at the University of Wisconsin followed nearly 4,000 individuals for 15 years and found that participants who lead an active life significantly reduced their risk for age related macular degeneration (AMD).
Participants who walked regularly reduced their risk for AMD by 30% and those who exercised regularly at more intense levels reduced their risk by 70%!5
Sources
1 McTigue K, Larson JC, Valoski A, Burke G, Kotchen J, Lewis CE, Stefanick ML, Van Horn L, Kuller L. (2006). Mortality and cardiac and vascular outcomes in extremely obese women. Journal of the American Medical Association, 296, 79-86.
2 Padilla J, Harris RA, Fly AD, Rink LD, Wallace JP. (2006). The effect of acute exercise on endothelial function following a high-fat meal. European Journal Applied Physiology, 98, 256-62.
3 Wing RR, Tate DF, Gorin AA, Raynor HA, Fava JL. (2006). A self-regulation program for maintenance of weight loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 355, 1563-71.
4Cournot M, Marquie JC, Ansiau D, Martinaud C, Fonds H, Ferrieres J, Ruidavets JB. (2006). Relation between body mass index and cognitive function in healthy middle-aged men and women. Neurology, 67, 1208-14.
5 British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2006 |
